The fundamental changes brought by the Internet and its subset, the World Wide Web (“Web”), have created a new electronic environment that is changing the way business is transacted. The ongoing revolution in the field of information delivery is driving the progress in various areas of everyday life. One area that has benefited from this technological development is the electronic auction area, which reflects the ability of individuals to sell items within an Internet marketplace environment.
Historically, auctions for sale of various items have proven to be very popular. Electronic auctions are also becoming increasingly popular due to their lack of complexity and ease of access. In an electronic auction environment, users connect to servers supporting the auctions and buy and/or sell items over one or more networks, for example including the Internet. Typically, in order to list the items in an efficient manner and to attract buyers, the seller has to specify the name of the item to be auctioned, a short description of the item, and a listing category. Since electronic auctions support an ever-increasing number of users selling a wide array of items, attempts have been made to design efficient interfaces between the users and the companies operating the auctions.
With respect to the category selection process, one previous approach uses a field, which includes all categories, and separate fields for respective subcategories. The user selects an appropriate category and then browses through subcategories until he or she finds the subcategory corresponding to the item to be auctioned. However, the process of browsing through subcategories is time-consuming. Also, the user has to repeat the process for every item that the user intends to auction. Another approach prompts the user to select a category from a listing displayed on a Web page, then a subcategory from a second listing displayed on a subsequent Web page, then a further subcategory, if available, from a third listing displayed in yet another Web page, until the final selection accurately characterizes the item to be auctioned. This approach is also time-consuming and requires a certain amount of effort to be completed.
What is needed is a method for facilitating user selection of an item category that is efficient and easy to use.